EMpowered

EMPowered is an East Midlands Legacy project for children and young people. It matches the Olympic and Paralympic values to the seven events of the Heptathlon, an event in which Great Britain has long excelled through the likes of Denise Lewis, Kelly Sotherton and now our World Champion, Jessica Ennis.

EMPowered will take place over the seven terms from summer 2010 to summer 2012, featuring a different value each time and following the sequence of disciplines within the Heptathlon. We start in the summer of 2010 with the value of courage and the first event, the 100 metres high hurdles.

Each term a set of 7 online references will be signposted to support EMPowered which reflect both the Heptathlon discipline and the value. The resources will be provided online via web links and will be prefaced with some background information. Children and young people will be invited to submit their own stories in response, factual or fictional, or their written response to one of the stories they have explored. There will be a termly prize for the winning submission from a Primary age pupil and a Secondary or FE student.

To find out more visit www.empoweredcyp.org.uk

EMPowered is supported by The Wells Sports Foundation and, in particular, one of its Sporting Ambassadors, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, World Youth heptathlon champion in 2009

Wells Sports Foundation Information & Quote for EMpowered

The Wells Sports Foundation is a sporting charity that has been created and entirely funded by successful entrepreneur Barrie Wells. The Foundation provides financial and motivational support to sustainable grassroots sports projects to contribute to a lasting sporting legacy for future generations. Barrie is also personally funding a team of world class athletes, in order to help them achieve their goals of becoming successful Olympians. These athletes are Ambassadors of the Foundation and visit worthwhile grassroots sports event to inspire and motivate young people to participate in sport.

Katarina Thompson is one of the Wells Sports Foundation Ambassadors, and is also currently the World Youth Heptathlon Champion. Katarina comments: “I am determined to compete at London 2012 and am continually striving to be and to do my best. As I’m only 17, I’ve only recently been able to start weight training so shot-put is currently my toughest event, but the money Barrie has given me has enabled me to join a gym with my coach to concentrate on my strength and conditioning. Sport at any level can be incredibly rewarding and the best thing about the heptathlon is the variety it offers. I think it’s great that initiatives like EMpowered are providing children with the opportunity to learn about the 7 disciplines that make up the heptathlon. Through my role as a Wells Sports Foundation Ambassador, my aim is to encourage children to give the heptathlon a go and show them how much fun it can be.”

EMpowered has been granted the prestigious London 2012 Inspire Mark, the badge of the London 2012 Inspire programme which recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Games.